The Monkees: Gold Rush

No Heartaches Felt No Longer Lonely...

Peter was on the witness stand, he could feel his heart beating in his chest. It felt like hundreds of eyes were on him.
"What exactly did you see?"
"Well, when I rode up there was a man laying on the ground and he wasn't moving and it looked like he had been shot. I was worried about Davy, who had rode ahead, so I followed after him on my horse," Peter said.
"Can you describe the murdered man?" The attorney asked.
"Um... He looked big and um... He was black..." Peter said slowly trying to remember everything.
"He was a black man?" The attorney asked.
Peter nodded.
The attorney asked other questions. Peter answered everything he could. He felt by confused by all the questions. Was he being tricked? He felt almost like he was being targeted by the attorney. Did the attorney think he was lying?
"No more questions, your honor," The attorney said backing off.
Peter was sort of afraid. What if he had said something wrong? He was dismissed from the witness chair. It was Davy's turn. Davy sat on the chair very calmly. He knew exactly what to say, and he wasn't worried a bit.
"State your name," The judge said.
"David Jones," Davy said.
"Mr. Jones, tell us in your own words what happened on the day you discovered the body," The attorney said.
"Well, me and Peter were at our wagon. I had just gotten back from escorting these four men to town, and I had to bring Mike back from the saloon," Davy said.
"Mike?" The attorney asked.
"Michael Nesmith, he was really drunk. I brought him back to the wagon. Me and Peter were sitting around the fire and then we heard a gun shot and I got on one of the horses and raced towards it with the rifle. I reached about where the shot would have been fired and I found this man dead on the ground then I saw Nick Todd racing away on his horse and I rushed after him and knocked him off his horse," Davy said.
"Did you know he was Nick Todd when you first saw him?" The attorney asked.
Davy shook his head. "The deputy, Mr. Vincent, told me his name later on," He said. "I never met the fellow until that time."
"Can you describe the victim?" The attorney asked.
Davy stared for a moment. "Peter just did," He said. "He was a big guy, probably a good six foot and he looked strong. The bullet wound looked like it was in his back. He wearing denim overalls and boots and I think he was wearing a red and blue flannel shirt. I can't think of anything else."
"What color was his skin?" The attorney asked.
"Black, like Peter said," Davy said annoyed, "but why does..."
"He was black?"
"Yes," Davy said annoyed.
"I think that's all," The attorney said.
Davy was dismissed from the witness chair. Davy sat down next to Peter. Peter turned to Davy.
"Why do you think he asked us both if the man that was killed was black?" Peter asked in a whisper.
Davy shrugged.
Nick Todd was called to the stand. This was the second time he had been up there. The first time he had just said his name and insisted that he hadn't murdered any person.
"Did you kill the black man in question?" The attorney asked.
"Yeah."
The court whispered amongst itself for awhile. Why had he just changed what he said before?
"Why did you say you hadn't before?" The attorney asked.
"I just said I didn't kill no person," Nick Todd said. "I don't consider that animal a person." He emphasized animal as if it hadn't been the word he was originally going to use.
More whispering.
"Can you explain what happened that night?" The attorney asked.
"I had been playing poker with a few of my friends and he had asked to play. Now, I didn't want to play him, but my friends said it would be easy money. He cheated us all twenty bucks. I approached him afterwards and told him if he didn't give back my money I'd kill him. He didn't give back my money, so when I saw him going home I followed him and shot him. The son of a bitch didn't even have the money on him," Nick said.
"So you got cheated out of money?" The attorney said.
"Yep."
"Are you not wanted for cheating at cards yourself?" The attorney asked.
"I ain't cheated at cards. I'm just really good, and everyone thinks I cheat," Nick said.
The court whispered about how that was a lie, but no one said it aloud.
"I have no more questions, your honor," The attorney said.
Peter turned to Davy. "Did he just admit to killing the man?" Peter asked in a whisper.
Davy nodded. He was sort of in shock. The court was called to recess. Peter and Davy immediately went to see Vincent. Vincent had a frown on his face. "Are they going to hang him?" Davy asked.
Vincent was silent for a few seconds. "I doubt it," He said. "The way the attorney was workin' it, he wants to get him in prison."
"But he killed a man," Peter said.
"A black man," Vincent said shaking his head. "God dammit! Not again..."
Peter and Davy stared at Vincent. He walked off with his hands in his pockets. His left leg dragged against the ground as he walked away. Peter shook his head.
"Why does it always end up this way?" Davy asked. "Why does everyone treat black people so differently?"
Peter sighed. "The jury is all white men..." He said.
"He isn't going to hang," Davy said. "God, we're a couple of naive kids. He'll probably get put away for a few years then the scum bag will be out again."
"Maybe he won't come back," Peter said quietly.
Davy shrugged then walked off leaving Peter alone. Peter looked at the floor for a few moments. What was wrong with this country?
"All men are created equal..." Peter said softly. He looked up at the roof then shook his head. "Not here..." He walked off for a breath of fresh air.

(Why am I getting so serious? Geez... Well, finally back on schedule and stuff! Getting work done while listening to the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly. Though the Westerns I watched all yesterday must have helped some. Thought I was gonna use Link Wray, but as of yet I don't think he's even said anything... I'll use him next chapter or something. Oh, something I don't think I ever mentioned. The man that Nick Todd shot was supposed to be Otis Redding, but I scrapped that idea since I felt uncomfortable with it. So, right now I'm trying to think up a name for the murdered man. He might end up with named Tom Robison like in To Kill a Mockingbird. Kinda sad that I'm just now naming him. Gee wiz, I'm scatterbrained. Well, I guess that is all for this little note.
Don't know anything witty to put here... ~ Adde Away!)